RECENT VOTES

Domestic Violence

I do have some good news to share this week. The House passed S. 47: The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. You may recall that the House passed a version of this bill last year that was significantly weaker than a Senate passed measure. As a result, the legislation wasn’t reauthorized. This week, the House finally agreed to consider the bipartisan Senate passed bill, which clearly grants protections to all domestic violence victims regardless of their sexual orientation. Abuse happens in same-sex relationships too and those victims deserve equal protections. There was a Republican substitute offered that eliminated all references to “gender identity” and “sexual orientation”. I am happy to report that it failed. S. 47 passed and will be signed into law. The entire vote is recorded below: